The joys of Septic Drain fields

[AWJ Services]

Here is a job I am doing.I crossed power once, the Gas 3 times, phone once, water line once and cable 3 times not to mention a few trees in my way.There will be 300 ft of trench also.

[Scag48]

Good times! I hate working around utilities, I don't know if I'll ever get over it, I just don't like it. Second week on the crew I was on last summer I was sent with a 200 to set ecology blocks over a bank of shallow buried fiber. The spot was on a slope, so I had to cut little benches for the blocks, knowing the whole time that fiber was down there somewhere. All the while I'm knowing that taking it easy wasn't going to save me in a 200 with a bucket sporting twin tigers. I was told it was $50K per minute fine for hitting that fiber, not to mention the company I was working for would be thrown off the job. I was a little strung out that day.

[AWJ Services]

In the second picture you can see the marks for the main utility lines.
They go 8 foot into the yard.
We hand dig and find each utility.The gas line was over 4 foot deep in one spot.
People think you just jump on the equipment and get to work.LOL

The Fiber optic stuff is bad news.
I will refuse a job if I have to deal with it much.

[Junior M]

I would go mad on that job, to much to dodge and duck around.

[Dirtman2007]

Atleast you have dry dirt to dig!

Hey your ruining that womans Ivy... go ahead a scrap it off the trees while your at it:laugh: I hate ivy on trees!

I'm surprised the gas line was that deep, I've never seen one over 24"

Cable and phone will be down about 2- 3":dizzy:

[Junior M]

Atleast you have dry dirt to dig!

Hey your ruining that womans Ivy... go ahead a scrap it off the trees while your at it:laugh: I hate ivy on trees!

I'm surprised the gas line was that deep, I've never seen one over 24"

Cable and phone will be down about 2- 3":dizzy:
We've found phone right below the sod and when we dug up our telephone here at the house to move it for the pool, it was 3 1/2ft deep :dizzy: I was like what the crap? They dont even put water that deep here..

[Scag48]

Typically gas and power is 3 feet down, phone is a minimum 18", and water is usually 3 feet to stay below the frost line. Sewer is what it is, but same deal there, usually like to be below the frost line at the shallowest.

Fiber is a pain, it just stresses a guy out.

[AWJ Services]

Gas is always about 2 foot.
It sucks when it is that deep because it interferes with septic lines and I usually have to hard pipe over it.
This job is pretty tough.The worst by far I have done.

I will add if anyone gets into residential construction and they intend to dig in the ground for what ever reason this is a common every day thing.Get used to it.Thankfully there is no irrigation.LOL
I keep all the stuff to fix the phone and cable lines with me just in case.
The small gas lines are no big deal either unless it is winter.
I have cut them with a shovel trying to find them.I cannot afford a pothole machine.
I try to hit the gas guys up for some caps incase I cut them.
I wish I knew where to buy the stuff to repair them.They use the poly hose here.

[Junior M]

Typically gas and power is 3 feet down, phone is a minimum 18", and water is usually 3 feet to stay below the frost line. Sewer is what it is, but same deal there, usually like to be below the frost line at the shallowest.

Fiber is a pain, it just stresses a guy out.
It stresses everybody out, even the guys puttin it in, ask Dad! He said he wouldnt go back to do that even if it was the last option on the earth, by far the most stressful and aggravating job he ever had..

[Construct'O]

Looks like it will be about as much fun when you backfill,trying to backfill around and under all the lines.Just don't have your tail climb a tree when your backfilling:laugh:

Was that just the main line to the field so far.Is the cambers just in one continuous line.Here they have a distribution box,then that feeds to cambers,as in your case there would be three (100ft.lines) coming off the box.

You just got to love that red clay(dirt):):usflag:

[Scag48]

You know, now that I think of it, I've never worked around residential service gas, only 4" high pressure. You hit that stuff and you're going for a RIDE.

How simple is it to repair cable TV and phone? I've never had to make repairs, but I think that would be a useful skill.

[Junior M]

You know, now that I think of it, I've never worked around residential service gas, only 4" high pressure. You hit that stuff and you're going for a RIDE.

How simple is it to repair cable TV and phone? I've never had to make repairs, but I think that would be a useful skill.
I've helped Dad repair phone and cable, and its not really hard, just kind of aggravating. But he only does it every once and while when we screw up but I am sure if you did it more often it wouldnt be hard at all...

[AWJ Services]

We always try to do serial installations.
There is a bacteria that forms and basically seals the soil up in the bottom of the trenches(over time) so we do serials with a max run of 125 foot then a dam.The picture is of the drain field.
I have 140 foot to go.
Back filling is a pain in these conditions because of the obstacles.
I need mini maxes tilt bucket.

[Dirtman2007]

You know, now that I think of it, I've never worked around residential service gas, only 4" high pressure. You hit that stuff and you're going for a RIDE.

How simple is it to repair cable TV and phone? I've never had to make repairs, but I think that would be a useful skill.

The cable and phone guys come out and fix the ones I've ripped in half. Not because I did not find them with a shovel first, the fellow just completely forgot to mark them, which seems like a pattern for me:dizzy:

ever dug a Main phone line up going to a Multi million dollar subdivision? The repair connection was 3.5" in diameter! I did not even know I hit it until the following morning I had a visit by 3 very nicely dressed big wheels from the phone company:hammerhead:

Last gas Line I had to dig around I heard it before I saw it. We need to get some better locaters around here.

[AWJ Services]

The cable stuff I splice with regular ends and sink it in a gel capsule.
The phone company here never charges for cut cables so I always do a temporary splice to keep the customer going and call in for a new service line.

It really makes a difference in how your customer views your operation when you do not interrupt there daily business.If I cut a line I stop, repair it and have them back going in a short time.
Trust me you do not want a soccer mom sitting at home with no phone and no TV while your there working.LOL

[AWJ Services]

Last gas Line I had to dig around I heard it before I saw it. We need to get some better locater's around here.

They are actually just utility "Marking" companies.
In Ga the law reads that they actually have a 2 foot tolerance from where the utility actually is and you have a no dig area of 2 foot from the utility.
So if they mark it 2 foot on the left that means you have to up the no dig zone to as much as 4+ feet from the mark.
Here you have to find the utility and then dig off of your location.If you cannot find it withing the 2 foot marking tolerance on each side( 4 foot total) then it is mis marked.

Check with your local laws but here you can actually charge the offending locating company for lost time and they have to pay by law.

[Dirtman2007]

They are actually just utility "Marking" companies.
In Ga the law reads that they actually have a 2 foot tolerance from where the utility actually is and you have a no dig area of 2 foot from the utility.
So if they mark it 2 foot on the left that means you have to up the no dig zone to as much as 4+ feet from the mark.
Here you have to find the utility and then dig off of your location.If you cannot find it withing the 2 foot marking tolerance on each side( 4 foot total) then it is mis marked.

Check with your local laws but here you can actually charge the offending locating company for lost time and they have to pay by law.


It's a funny story, the fellow that marked it came out to fix it (along with about 4 fire trucks, 12 firefighters, 4 police officers and dozens of by standers) he missed the little "jog" in the line by about 4', when we pushed over the stump.... whooooooosh.... that little takkie was hauling a$$:laugh:
He said it was unadvoidable and did not charge us.

[AWJ Services]

There was a few cases where the gas line was severed along with a drain line and it filled a house up with gas till the pilot lights ignited the gas turning the house into a large bomb.

[SiteSolutions]

There was a few cases where the gas line was severed along with a drain line and it filled a house up with gas till the pilot lights ignited the gas turning the house into a large bomb.

All the more reason to carry that 2 million dollar insurance.

[Gravel Rat]

I'am glad there is no under ground utilities here power/tele/cable vision is all above ground no gas only propane tanks. Water lines are underground lots of old water services un-marked so some times you hit a old 3/4 inch line.

[marthanmike1959]

Here is a job I am doing.I crossed power once, the Gas 3 times, phone once, water line once and cable 3 times not to mention a few trees in my way.There will be 300 ft of trench also.

Lucky your not in my town in tennesse they won't allow crossing electric lines here.